Gallagher's Travels: Food talk

On a quick visit: NYC Restaurants

(Some expensive some not)

Tested and rated by Cat Vibert, Catvibe Productions
www.catvibe.com
Post production audio producer, voiceover talent and ambient music scoring for radio and film.

Day One

Saigon 48

Arrive in NYC starved. Discovered a little Vietnamese place on 48th between 7th and 8th called SAIGON 48. Pretty good and pretty cheap for the theater district. Try the crystal dumplings, and the shrimp siu mai. They are both like Chinese dim sum, but with a unique flavor. Delicious. The dinner choices were ok. I would suggest this restaurant for appetizers and drinks.

Day Two

Algonquin

Breakfast at The ALGONQUIN, pricey but yummy. Off to the MOMA where we looked at paintings until their impact was that of a blank canvas, then off to the garment district looking for clothing bargains. Not finding any, but instead coming upon DIMPLE. http://www.algonquinhotel.com

Dimple

A south Indian vegetarian hole in the wall on 30th between B/Way and 5th. Recommended by Kimberly Kinchen. We had the Dahi Puri, little black bean, cilantro and yogurt filled cups, and the Masala Dosa, a spicy potato mixture in a pancake like thing you roll up and put chutney upon. The waiter was wonderfully helpful and delighted to help us decide. The food was amazing and very very cheap. With the 7 dollar Indian beer, the bill came to $22.00 and we were stuffed.

Totonno's Pizza

Dinner, we took the subway to the upper east side and tried TOTONNO'S pizza up on 80th and 2nd, thanks to Larry Josephson's recommendaton. A classic New York style pizza was tasty and just fine. It still doesn't beat my favorite pizza in the world, which I had way back in 1980 at Due's Pizza in Chicago. http://www.totonnos.com/Pizza.html

Day Three

Artie's Deli

Took the subway to the upper west side and got pastrami sandwiches at ARTIE'S DELI (B/way between 82nd and 83rd), for our train ride to Vermont. Had a basic breakfast at a diner two doors down, I forgot to get the name. Checked out of our hotel and went to Penn Station to catch our train. We both felt sorry for the all the pastramis that had to die for our sandwiches, (since they put all the pastrami in New York on one sandwich). I ate half and vowed never to eat another. Enough said.

Day Four

Café Fiorello

Back to New York, we had tickets to the opera, so splurged that night sitting outdoors at the CAFÉ FIORELLO, across from Lincoln Center. Fabulous and very pricey. Not a hole in the wall. http://www.cafefiorello.com

Day Five

Gray's Papaya

Breakfast at GRAY'S PAPAYA (Thanks Larry J). Ok, so hot dogs are not always a good breakfast choice, but we got up late that morning, and took the subway to the village, to look at Eugene Lang college in The New School. When you are in New York and need a hot dog, GRAY's is good and cheap and fun.

Two Boots

Lunch: After we toured Lang, I took Chris and his friend Henry to TWO BOOTS pizza (thanks to Rosemary Hoban) in the village. A good way to feed hungry teens is to feed them a Stromboli (stuffed pizza) from TWO BOOTS. Two big strapping boys and a mom stuffed for less than 15.00 bucks.

Doyers Vietnamese

Dinner: I had given up hope on getting down to Chinatown to try a couple of the choices but we went to have a drink in the East Village with Chris' friend and his sister and her boyfriend, and ended up at their favorite hole in the wall, DOYERS VIETNAMESE. (11 Doyers Street). This was also Kimberly Kinchen's top rec, so imagine my happiness at this little coincidence. We had the green papaya and shrimp salad, the hot and sour eel soup, two kinds of summer rolls, rice noodles with shredded pork, vegetables with crispy noodles, and fried sesame bananas for dessert. All this fed and delighted 6 hungry people for $55.00.

Day Six

Amy's Bread

Scones from AMY'S BREAD at 692 9th Ave in Hell's Kitchen. Yummy. Then off to the airport to come back to California. I wish I had time to try out all the other recommendations, and to see and meet with Airsters, but the week was over in a split second! Thanks again for all your recommendations.

Gallagher's Travels